Here’s another good fix for a MacOS X default-
How to expand all Open/Save Dialogs on MacOS X:
defaults write -g NSNavPanelExpandedStateForSaveMode -bool TRUE
One of the more interesting features of MacOS X 10.7 Lion is the ad-hoc, wireless, peer to peer networking feature called AirDrop. Unfortunately, this is only supported on the very latest hardware. It turns out that you can easily enable AirDrop for many older Lion systems with a simple visit to the Terminal.
At the commend line, you need to enter:
defaults write com.apple.NetworkBrowser BrowseAllInterfaces 1
Then, restart the Finder with the following:
killall Finder
Open a new finder window and you should now see AirDrop listed on the left-hand side under favorites.
From the my first computing experiences with the Apple ][+ to my current MacBook Air, Steve Jobs has inspired me. Both my wife and I “grew up Apple.” Nearly everyone who matters to me both professionally and personally has been influenced by his work. His personality, conviction and attention to detail has been imprinted upon us all. In his passing, I feel as if someone close to me has died, although I never knew him personally.
As I learned of the news on via an AP alert on my iPhone, I kept quiet not wanting to ruin the mood at the tech meetup I was hosting. Secretly, I noticed that everyone in the room was receiving the news (from their Apple devices). Finally, someone verbally acknowledged the news and silence fell among our group. Gradually, murmurs and hushed conversation began, and slowly, our world of tech reluctantly moved on.
An era has passed and a historic luminary is gone.
Steve Jobs, 1955 - 2011
After upgrading to MacOS X Lion 10.7, you’ll find that the system conveniently hides the Library folder in your home directory. If you’re wondering how to view the /Library folder after the upgrade, here’s how.
Of course you can still view it by using the Finder’s “Go to Folder” feature. Just type command-shift-g in the finder and enter:
~/Library/
But if you’d like to keep it visible all the time, you can change the hidden flags on that directory with the following command:
chflags nohidden ~/Library/
update: I just noticed that Dan Frakes over at Macworld has posted a completely over the top 18 ways to view the ~/Library folder in Lion. I think this hint is now complete.
This year’s Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) kicked off with a keynote by Steve Jobs. With his team of execs, he revealed three major products- all software-based. Thousands of new features, services and APIs were announced setting the stage for future products and services across Apple’s compete line of products.
1. Mac OS X Lion- Apple’s next desktop operating system- aka 10.7.
As previously demoed, multi-touch gestures and many details from iOS have been brought over to the desktop. Security and OS refinement are central as well as the initial integration of iCloud for document, photo and data access. Release date is “July.”
2. iOS 5.0- The next mobile operating system for iPhones, iPads, iPods & AppleTV.
The early beta build shows that Apple has continued chipping away at the most-requested features list. The most visible and obvious change is the introduction of a better notification system. The OS is now a very capable desktop replacement on the iPad and even more feature-rich on the phone. Other changes are much more subtle refinements. Release date is “fall.”
3. iCloud- The long-awaited Apple cloud services offering.
iCloud replaces the earlier MobileMe service with free Contact, Cal, Docs, Photos, and Music sync for free. The service becomes a wireless digital hub, replacing the requirement for USB to PC functionality with a broadband network connection.
In addition, three of the Apple online stores (Music, Books & Apps) get re-download capability. Furthermore, an option has been introduced to automatically download purchased content on all associated devices “from the Cloud.” This feature is immediately available in beta release form. There was no mention of TV or movies.
Most interesting was the announcement of iTunes Match. This service matches all songs in a user’s iTunes library, including those ripped directly from CD and obtained from file sharing sites, and offers them in the Cloud with high-resolution audio. At $24.99/year, this is the only paid component of iCloud (other than upgraded storage). Release date is “fall.”
iCloud does not include traditional music streaming or even “iTunes in the browser.” Instead, it’s positioned more like iTunes-as-a-service. The vision Apple articulated was that the Cloud exists to make native apps better, not to replace them as Google and Microsoft are pursuing by running software in the web browser. To drive this point home, Apple’s did not even show web interfaces to the iCloud services (although I do expect to see them at some point).
If iCloud’s services do deliver as advertised, expect this robust service layer will likely grow into an expectation of functionality across both the mobile environment and the entire computing space.
A few closing stats:
- Apple has sold 200 million iOS devices
- Apple claims 44 percent of the mobile operating system market. Android is #2 with 28%, RIM is #3 with 19% and Others at 9%
- 15 billion songs have been sold through the iTunes Music Store.
- 14 billion apps have been sold on the App Store
- 130 million eBooks have been purchased from the iBooks Store
Turning off the Safari option to open “safe” files automatically is generally considered a good security practice. To do this on a single machine, simply visit the Safari preferences and uncheck the box “Open ‘safe’ files after downloading” at the bottom of the “General” options.
It turns out that deploying this change to a large number of managed Macs is quite simple as well. The following terminal command can be used to “uncheck” the box en masse using Apple Remote Desktop (ARD) and the “Send Unix Command.”
defaults write com.apple.Safari AutoOpenSafeDownloads -boolean No
37 Signals has posted a nifty tip for accessing your Basecamp account directly from the Mac menubar.
Here’s a neat trick: You can use the new Basecamp Mobile UI as a Fluid menu bar app on your computer. That way you can get a quick view of your Basecamp projects straight from your menu bar.
The trick uses Fluid to create a new menu item. Very cool!
Ever since Safari 4 introduced page zoom, rather than just font zoom, I’ve been using it to view webpages on my TV setup. This evening I finally decided to do a bit research to see if if a default zoom level could be set so that I wouldn’t have to hit “Command +” several times with search new Safari window or tab.
It turns out that the solution is quite simple. The zoom level can be set in an external stylesheet.
body {
zoom: 135%;
}
The zoom factor is set with values of more or less than 100%. On my setup, 135% seems just about right.
Save the values above to a new .css file, then go into the Safari preferences and chose Advanced. Select your new stylesheet and all new windows will be zoomed appropriately.
This hint will work on both Mac and Windows Safari. I’ve uploaded my stylesheet for anyone who’d like to use it.
Wow, that 696.7MB download looks like it’s going to take a really, really long time! Or is it going to take me back in time? I’m really not sure.
This week, Facebook opened up their chat service to an industry standard protocol- XMPP, otherwise known as Jabber. This means that Facebook chat can now be used directly from within iChat.
Here’s how to set it up-
Go to iChat’s Preferences
Click the “Accounts” tab and add a new account
Select “Jabber” from the options
Type your screen name (.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)) and password.
Set “Server Options” to chat.facebook.com at port 5222 (do not check SSL)
Facebook also has instructions posted now on their site.